We are four days into Hurricane Season.  We have a six month season for it here.  Kind of like a holiday season of sorts…………….Not.

Ah, Florida.

Up north where I am originally from———The Snow Belt of Ohio———we prepared seasonally as well.  It was called Winter.  We would get ready for snow-days, snow-ins, blizzards, dipping Canadian arctic air, and the “Lake Effect”……………everything that includes a variety of frozen water in the air.  I was young enough to love snow days off from school and melting in the middle of snow angels while watching the artwork of Mother Nature fall onto my face.  For a pre-tween without a driver’s license or salaried work hours, there was a magic to Winter.  And with the appropriate dry clothing, and hot apres Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup…………….I loved it.

Now I’m in Florida and we have another season escorted in annually by Mother Nature.  One that can supply a lot of water in a less-fun way.  One with a variety of first names.  And She/He has counter-clockwise swirls that show from outer space.

*****Side-note here:  I used to travel a great deal before returning to my farm roots.  And yes, to my disappointment the pretzels that I tossed in the first toilet I encountered in Melbourne, Australia went counter-clockwise too.  The flush did not fulfill my expectations.  Sigh.

One very important lesson I’ve learned over the years.  Never ever underestimate Mother Nature.  Just prepare.

Which is where can-counting comes in.

No one ever told me that dried beans don’t have half-lives.  I had thought the obligatory survival bean soup ingredients would last in efficiently-sealed five gallon containers well into my eighties (and Grandma told me to add bay leaves to everything because they keep the moths out and make everything last longer———they do however crumble into tiny tiny pieces that are impossible to pick out of the 50+ pounds of sugar that I’ve also stored———-so, I go overboard sometimes, what can I say?)

Canned beans are safer to save longer than dried beans I’ve learned.  I tried to resurrect the northern, pinto, kidney (dark red & light red), chick peas/Garbanzo beans, and black-eyed peas.  The bay leaves were no help.  I steamed them, simmered them, boiled them.  I forced my family to eat them.  They didn’t.  I showed my untrusting family that there was no problem eating them, that they were yummy and tasty and just fine.

They weren’t.  They were really crunchy no matter how long you boiled those suckers, spices would just slide right off their impervious hides.  I was sick for days.  The bad beans got dumped in the side woods—cooked and uncooked.

So when this year’s Hurricane Season storm estimate was announced on June 1st my first reaction was a reminiscent stomach ache.  And I decided to put my stockpiling efforts into quantities of canned foods and batteries………and baking soda for stomach issues (and Moon Pies).

We don’t take hurricanes lightly at all with the animals.  We have hurricane halters and collars with water-proof ID’s attached.  There are so many opinions on stalling or not-stalling livestock.  We opt for the not-stalling philosophies.  We also have reflective paint to spray on the sides of the big ones along with reflective ankle straps (if the fencing goes down and the horses and goats get out at night, then hopefully the reflective paint and straps will allow car headlights to see them soon enough).  We also braid ID info into manes or tails.  Everyone here is HomeAgain microchipped.

Did you know that there are set locations on different species of animals where to micro-chip?  Dogs and cats are between their shoulder blades, tortoises are in front of their leg.  Llama are on the side of their necks, mid-way down.  Interesting, huh?  Horses are mid-neck crest too.  I even have my own scanner so I can identify my animals on the spot post-storm if there are any disputes.  Mason of course has his lip tattoo.

So Hurricane Season is here. Tra La.  I have a few large plastic bins labeled hurricane supplies.  I’ve got matches (a variety of fire-starters), flashlights (a variety), oil lamps & oil, first-aid/first-aid/first-aid supplies, tarps & visqueen, duct tape, fuses & flares, propane tanks (which reminds me, I have to fill them), ooooh—I have to fill the woodshed again.  Then hopefully there will be enough dry wood to get the wet wood started.  We have a big fireplace in the house with a cooking arm.  I collect cast iron pots & pans so we have a lot to pick from to cook with, and canned things————lots of canned things.

We try to have extra bags of dried beet pulp for the livestock.  Dried shredded beet pulp (once rehydrated) is a good filler for livestock.  It helps to avoid the possibility of colic with horses——-which increases when the barometric pressure changes during a hurricane.

Years ago we got a deep-well hand-pump.  Plus we have a larger-than-necessary generator.

My wish list consists of a wind vane and ham radio (I’ve already learned the Morse Code).  Are you surprised that designer shoes and handbags aren’t on my wish list?        Ha!